Print Council to position printing as sustainable, environmentally responsible

Published on August 26, 2009.

Washington, D.C.—Print will be positioned as a sustainable and environmentally responsible communications medium in a new position paper to be released at Print ’09, a trade show that will be held Sept. 11–16 in Chicago.

The paper, which is being developed by the Print Council, is titled, “Why Print Is Green.” It will point out, for instance, that in 2008 more than 57% of paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling. Additionally, it will note that the pulp and paper industry generates more than 60% of its power from renewable sources, while the average industry generates less than 10% of its power from renewable sources.

“Our industry is a leader in recycling, sustainability and pollution control,” Ben Cooper, executive director of the Print Council, said in a statement. “In fact we pioneered putting those concepts into widespread practice over the past three decades. But we did so quietly, to the extent that there is a lack of awareness regarding the environmentally responsible nature of print.”